Evacuee: 'The human spirit is alive and well in Jamestown'

National Guard starts evacuating mountain town by helicopter

After all connecting roads to the small mountain town were washed out by deadly flood waters and mudslides, rescuers on Friday afternoon began the evacuation of the devastated community of Jamestown.

The first National Guard rescue helicopter from Jamestown landed at Boulder Municipal Airport about 2:15 p.m., carrying roughly 20 people and some pets.

Passengers of the twin-engine Chinook checked in with officials, providing names and addresses so they could be connected with people who may be looking for them. Many of the passengers were elderly or children.

Boulder County Sheriff's Office officials indicated the plan was for flights to Jamestown to continue until the entire town is evacuated, with the sick and injured going first.

Tripp Watts, who's facing major back surgery, was among the first load of passengers. He walked off the helicopter with his acoustic guitar and a backpack containing his laptop. His house is above the flooded area, so he had friends and neighbors taking shelter with him.

"We have such a great community that no one wanted to go because we all love each other so much and wanted to support each other," Watts said. "But at the same time, we saw the writing on the wall and accepted the blessing of the National Guard."

Ted and Virginia Krohn came to Jamestown on Wednesday to stay in a rented house for vacation.

The couple, from Arlington, Va., said things quickly got bad, but the town's residents took them in and helped look after them. They eventually took shelter at Jamestown Elementary School before being evacuated.

"The best part was the people of Jamestown," Virginia Krohn said. "The people made sure we had shelter and food and water."

Ted Krohn said: "The human spirit is alive and well in Jamestown."

The couple said they were going to stay with their son, who lives in Boulder.

Thirteen-year Jamestown resident Eric Flink was also among the people who took shelter at the elementary school before being evacuated. Flink, 52, said when authorities first knocked on his door around 1 a.m. Thursday, he took his dog, Joey, but left his two cats behind, thinking the evacuation would be brief.

He stayed briefly at a neighbor's house before worsening conditions forced him and others to the school, where he said residents' spirits and emotions varied, as some had already lost their homes to the disaster.

"Obviously, it's kind of hard to watch your house wash down the street," Flink said of others' losses. "Jamestown's pretty thoroughly ravaged by the storm. It was over the top, as far as destruction -- the kind of thing you see on television. The rain just seemed to not want to let up."

As the waters rose and a 100-foot-wide flood split the town in half, Flink said the town pulled together, with he and others building a pulley system across the raging waters, equipping the rope with a bucket to ferry medication, food and supplies to residents on the other side. He helped to build a footbridge across the creek so that people with medical conditions eventually could be evacuated by air.

He said he did not expect to be among those evacuated but said rescuers made it clear that they came to take everyone out of town.

After landing in Boulder, he eventually was taken to the evacuation center at Niwot High School before his daughter arrived and drove him to his step-daughter's house, where he will meet up with his wife, who has been out of town this week.

"I think the people in town were ready to weather several days and had the spirits for it, but people definitely needed to get out for medical reasons," he said. "I felt bad leaving because I could've helped out more."

Sheriff Joe Pelle said Friday authorities have been in contact with firefighters in Jamestown throughout the flooding. Using a fleet of four National Guard helicopters, officials said they weren't sure how long it would take to evacuate the rest of the town of nearly 300, and it would depend on weather.

"There is really no choice but for them to hunker down, be patient, and know help is coming," Pelle said.

As of 9 p.m. Friday, officials estimated that 130 people had been evacuated.

Helicopter flights to the town were expected to continue through the night as weather allowed.

The National Guard helicopters sent to Jamestown also were used to make rescues and provide aid in other mountain communities, officials said. National Guard trucks were being used to evacuate Lyons on Friday.

Deborah Haynes is directed off the tarmac at Boulder Municipal Airport after being flown down from Jamestown on a National Guard helicopter on Friday.
(
MARK LEFFINGWELL
)

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